18 replies to this topic

[Rejuvena]

Hi,
I am a 27 year old female who has been drinking heavily for the past four years - about 3 drinks several times a week for the first three, then about 4 -6 almost daily for almost a whole year. I have stopped drinking completely under a month ago, I'm in a program now working through issues and I'm fully committed to getting as healthy as possible, repairing my body and extending my life.
I noticed some damage and premature aging on my face that is due to alcohol abuse, although its not huge - my skin is definietly less elastic, there is some upper- cheek sagging, some fine lines under eyes, skin on face is very dry, and sensitive with tendency to flush and weakened capillaries, skin on body very dry. Wound healing is much slower, my hair is thinner and weaker.


I was wondering how I could help my body recover and this seems like the best place to ask, with so many knowledgable people.

Questions:
- to what extent can I reverse the premature aging and if it is possible

- What nutrients/ supplements should I take specifically to repair alcohol damage to cells, and regenerate from within. (I already take magnesium, a B supplement and multi-vitamin)

- Specific supps to address sagging, increase collagen, improve skin, strengthen haIr

-What topicals to use to address skin issues, rehydrate, reverse lines, make skin more supple and less prone to capillary breakage.

- links to any research that has been done on addressing alcohol damage

-What type of exercise would be best.

Additional info - I have done blood tests and they came out without red flags, except for slightly elevated liver enzymes (liver ultrasound showed only minor fatty liver, which I hear is reversible after one quits drinking). I've never smoked and I'm within my normal weight, but most likely have some nutrient deficiencies after alcohol.

I would really appreciate any advice you can provide, I want to regenerate and feel and look better.

[Mia K.]

Hi Rejuvena,

Your body (inc. skin!) will heal beautifully.

I suggest you first take a look at this site:


http://principleintopractice.com/

Best wishes, Mia K.

[MsMetamorphose]

I have a long list of supplements i currently take for all the reasons you gave, plus a few more, including:


Basic A-Z Multi-Vit/Mineral,
High Potency Vitamin C,
Vitamin E,
Zinc,
Copper,
Omega 3 Oil,
Evening Primrose Oil,
Co-Enzyme Q10,
Grape Seed Extract,
Whey Protein,
Extra Amino Acids (particularly NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine), L-Methionine, L-Carnosine, ALCAR (Acetyl-L-Carnitine)),
ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid),
B-Complex 50,
Choline,
Inositol,
Silica (i intend to change to Bio-Sil when i complete the Bamboo Silica i use atm),
Biotin,
Hyaluronic Acid (low molecular weight),
Biocell/Neocell Collagen (type i & iii).

Im not suggesting you take all of these, as i have a lot more research and honing to do to my supplementation regimine, as i gain more knowledge and understanding of their doses and interactions, but these are all supplements that ive initially been recommended or discovered myself to be useful for skin, hair, repairing oxidative damage from past smoking/alcohol, general anti-aging etc.

There may be holes in my supplementation regimine, or, likely, there may be way too many (i think if you shook me i would rattle atm!), so please dont take all of these without researching yourself. But perhaps this will give you a place to start your own research.

Edited by MsMetamorphose, 07 September 2012 - 12:11 AM.

[MsMetamorphose]

Oops, and i forgot to add MSM to my (ridiculously lengthy) list above!.

I've also stopped smoking, cut down alcohol to practically nothing (at the most 1 glass of wine or a vodka and tonic a fortnight, usually less often than that), and ive almost totally weaned myself off caffeine (just the caffeine in regular black tea, 1 or 2 cups a day). I used to drink masses of coffee every day (often 4-6 cups) but now i drink a good amount of Green Tea daily in its place (at least 2 cups per day, usually 4-6). I also drink a cup or two of Detox Tea most days (Dr Stuarts and Pukka brands). Im sure this must have a hugely beneficial affect on skin and hair, and aids in reducing toxins.

I also suggest a highly nutritious diet. I started to eat a massive portion of mixed vegetables with EVERY evening meal (a variety of spinach, carrots, green beans, brussels sprouts, baby corn, asparagus, sugar snap peas etc) in the place of carbs like potatoes, along with a generous portion of lean protein (mostly fish, namely: tuna steak, salmon steak, cod fillet, sea bass, swordfish, plaice, halibut; skinless chicken breast, occasionally lamb chops, and fillet steak 1x per week as our treat!). We rub the lean protein with various dried spices, herbs, reduced fat pesto or garlic/ginger/chilli/lemongrass/soya sauce for flavour without unhealthy sauces, or make a healthy tuscan style picante sauce for the white fish from tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, onion, capers, black olives, finely chopped gherkins, a dash of balsamic vinegar, pinch of stevia and fresh basil.
Since eating like this ive felt a gazillion times healthier and i look healthier and fitter too. I dont think theres much point in supplementation if you're injesting poor quality nutrition and sugary/alcoholic/caffeinated drinks.

Hope some of this is helpful. xxx

Edited by MsMetamorphose, 07 September 2012 - 01:41 AM.

[MsMetamorphose]

Haha, upon taking my embarassingly hefty stack this morning, i realised i also left out DMAE from the list above! :0 xxx

[nupi]

With all that fish I would be worried about heavy metal poisoning.... Also eating lots of fish and supplementing fish oil might be overdoing it?

[MsMetamorphose]

With all that fish I would be worried about heavy metal poisoning.... Also eating lots of fish and supplementing fish oil might be overdoing it?

Is heavy metal poisoning common with a fish heavy diet? It's not something i'm familiar with, other than something at the back of my mind regards Tuna having the potential for slight levels of mercury?; but as far as i recall, the recommendation was that you were safe to eat tuna, as long as it was restricted to no more than 2 portions per week (which we keep within).

I wasnt aware that cod, salmon, halibut, sole, plaice, haddock etc were dangerous to eat regularly, due to danger of heavy metal poisening?

I was actually wondering myself whether the omega fish oil capsules were a necessary addition to my stack, since we started eating more fish. The reason i continued to take them was due to my only having oily fish (ie salmon) 1x per week, and never eating the skin of the predominantly white fish i consume. I figured perhaps i wasnt getting as much of the omega oil by my diet alone as some are taking supplementarily?

This is a whole new world for me, so no doubt i will make a few mistakes before honing the perfect supplementary and dietery lifestyle. Hopefully you guys will continue to point me, and others, in the right direction so we have a better chance attaining a more youthful appearance and, more importantly health, vitality & longevity. x

Edited by MsMetamorphose, 10 September 2012 - 09:15 PM.

[nupi]

My understanding is that fish have some heavy metal load but in particular the predatory ones, so tuna is definitely top of the list but salmon may have issues as well. Generally the smaller fishes seem to be safer, also because they generally are caught younger.

The opinions differ, but personally I like fish oil because after filtering it is much less contaminated than fish. Also, I mainly like the big predatory fishes that are contaminated the most and therefore avoid eating them very often.

[Logic]

There's a thread here somewhere about omega 3 and soy isoflavones (and C and E I think) causing an epigenic change that produces more collagen and suchlike.
So perhaps look at adding soy isoflavones to your stack MsMetamorphose, although from your pic; you dont need it!

[MsMetamorphose]

My understanding is that fish have some heavy metal load but in particular the predatory ones, so tuna is definitely top of the list but salmon may have issues as well. Generally the smaller fishes seem to be safer, also because they generally are caught younger.

Aahh, i see. Well, that does make sense. I feel a little stupid here, but i cant say im at all knowledgable regards relative sizes of fishes, or which ones are preditory. I simply buy the steaks/fillets from the supermarket, ready prepped! I couldnt even tell you what a halibut or cod look like prior to being butchered. I mean, obviously i can summise that plaice and sole are probably small flat fish from the size of the fillets.. but other than that...?!! Gosh!: It goes to show the level of dissociation between humans and their food. As i dont have to go out and catch our own fish, gut it, bone it etc, i dont have the level of appreciation/understanding of exactly what im eating. I guess i need to swat up on my fishes, seeing as its my favorite thing to eat, so i dont consume too many large predatory fishies. More homework for Marie!

Thanks Nupi. xxx

[Logic]

http://www.longecity...se-information/

Its the link to the combo mentioned earlier.

[MsMetamorphose]

There's a thread here somewhere about omega 3 and soy isoflavones (and C and E I think) causing an epigenic change that produces more collagen and suchlike.
So perhaps look at adding soy isoflavones to your stack MsMetamorphose, although from your pic; you dont need it!

*blushes* Bless you, Logic! You're too kind (although, trust me, close-up i can see a change in my skin since hitting 30, and i dont like it.. not one bit! I always suffered with greasy skin, large pores, blemishes etc, which i guess has kept my skin fairly young looking to a degree (albeit pimply young lol. urgh!) but its starting to take on a slight leathery appearance when i look real close in a mirror, and my pores are getting larger (like craters - double-'urgh'!). No wrinkles as of yet, but i see the texture of my skin starting to change and im eager to fight it from every angle!

Thanks for the link. I'll go check it out right away.

And thanks even more for the compliment. Haha, after a crappy day feeling rather pants about myself, a cheeky compliment is just what the doctor ordered! xxx

[MsMetamorphose]

http://www.longecity...se-information/

Its the link to the combo mentioned earlier.

Interesting. Lycopene and Soy Isoflavones are both missing from my stack. I wonder if Lycopene would be a beneficial addition to my anti-aging/skincare/hair-thickening regimen? Or Astaxanthin, perhaps? Or would you say i take enough antioxidants already? (Im running out of 'spending money' for adding many extra supplements at the moment! Since i started supplementing heavily a couple months ago, my expenditure has gone through the roof! Especially as i bought every single supplement individually - i DESPERATELY need to find some multi-supplement products to restock with next time, for a more cost effective way of being able to keep up all my supplements long-term. If any supps come to mind that contain 2 or more of the ingredients in my stack, id be more than grateful for the heads-up! I cant imagine how many grams of extra filler im injesting unnecessarily by taking every supp in a seperate capsule too!) :s

Back on to topic... Soy Isoflavones...
I'd be concerned about taking anything that has any chance of a negative effect on the hormones. Im not anywhere close to the menopause yet (as far as im aware) and since going back on the birth control pill, which obviously floods the system with extra synthetic hormones, im already experiencing a few minor unpleasant side effects, hormonally (mood swings, breakthrough bleeding, lower sex drive, increased hair shedding/thinning, weight gain, etc.. Sorry if TMI!). Im terrified of worsening any of those symptoms by sending my hormones even more out of whack.

I actually really wanted to try Maca, Puera Mirifica and/or Aguaje pills, for their purported curve enhancing effects on the female form (cutting straight to the chase, the anecdotal evidence suggests they encourage your body to swell in booty and breast area!). Im not entirely convinced any pill can magically pump 'junk into your trunk' (i do so crave a beyonce behind! ), but apparently the hormonal effect these supplements have on the female body are the supposed trigger for your body to add more feminine curves to these areas. Anyhoo, i was all set to give them a go, until i did a little research into the possible side effects of these type pills and found they could cause mood swings, encourage fat stores ALL OVER the body, especially areas you dont want it to go (thighs, stomach, arms etc) and, more importantly, increased chances of breast/ovarian/cervical cancers.
Obviously now im frightened of supplementing with anything that could cause these hormonal side effects - especially with my already experiencing negative hormonal influences from the contraceptive pill.
If there was a beneficial hormone-affecting supplement that would almost certainly negate those negative hormonal effects, without any other likely side effects, id be very interested indeed - but im guessing that 'magic pill' doesnt yet exist!?! xxxx

Edited by MsMetamorphose, 11 September 2012 - 11:58 PM.

[nupi]

I take Astaxanthin (generally 6mg, mainly to reduce lipid peroxidation, in particular of the fish oil I also take) but I can't say I noticed that it affected my skin. As far as anti oxidants go, its one of the pricier ones.

As for supplement shopping, I don't think iHerb can be beaten by any European source (depends a little how your customs treats imports though). Hell considering the rip off Swiss prices, it often pays to get healthy staples from there, even.

Edited by nupi, 12 September 2012 - 08:04 AM.

[Rejuvena]

Haha, upon taking my embarassingly hefty stack this morning, i realised i also left out DMAE from the list above! :0 xxx

Thanks for so much interstiing info - what type of dmae are you taking? topical or oral supplement? what brand if i may ask?

Also - des dmae reverse the dreaded sag?

Edited by Rejuvena, 12 September 2012 - 08:15 PM.

[MsMetamorphose]

Thanks for so much interstiing info - what type of dmae are you taking? topical or oral supplement? what brand if i may ask?

Also - des dmae reverse the dreaded sag?

I take all my supplements listed orally. I use the Swanson brand DMAE.

I cant attest to it's success yet as ive only been taking it for 2 or 3 weeks.... but i live in hope! xxx

[Rejuvena]

http://www.longecity...se-information/

Its the link to the combo mentioned earlier.

Interesting. Lycopene and Soy Isoflavones are both missing from my stack. I wonder if Lycopene would be a beneficial addition to my anti-aging/skincare/hair-thickening regimen? Or Astaxanthin, perhaps? Or would you say i take enough antioxidants already? (Im running out of 'spending money' for adding many extra supplements at the moment! Since i started supplementing heavily a couple months ago, my expenditure has gone through the roof! Especially as i bought every single supplement individually - i DESPERATELY need to find some multi-supplement products to restock with next time, for a more cost effective way of being able to keep up all my supplements long-term. If any supps come to mind that contain 2 or more of the ingredients in my stack, id be more than grateful for the heads-up! I cant imagine how many grams of extra filler im injesting unnecessarily by taking every supp in a seperate capsule too!) :s

Back on to topic... Soy Isoflavones...
I'd be concerned about taking anything that has any chance of a negative effect on the hormones. Im not anywhere close to the menopause yet (as far as im aware) and since going back on the birth control pill, which obviously floods the system with extra synthetic hormones, im already experiencing a few minor unpleasant side effects, hormonally (mood swings, breakthrough bleeding, lower sex drive, increased hair shedding/thinning, weight gain, etc.. Sorry if TMI!). Im terrified of worsening any of those symptoms by sending my hormones even more out of whack.

I actually really wanted to try Maca, Puera Mirifica and/or Aguaje pills, for their purported curve enhancing effects on the female form (cutting straight to the chase, the anecdotal evidence suggests they encourage your body to swell in booty and breast area!). Im not entirely convinced any pill can magically pump 'junk into your trunk' (i do so crave a beyonce behind! ), but apparently the hormonal effect these supplements have on the female body are the supposed trigger for your body to add more feminine curves to these areas. Anyhoo, i was all set to give them a go, until i did a little research into the possible side effects of these type pills and found they could cause mood swings, encourage fat stores ALL OVER the body, especially areas you dont want it to go (thighs, stomach, arms etc) and, more importantly, increased chances of breast/ovarian/cervical cancers.
Obviously now im frightened of supplementing with anything that could cause these hormonal side effects - especially with my already experiencing negative hormonal influences from the contraceptive pill.
If there was a beneficial hormone-affecting supplement that would almost certainly negate those negative hormonal effects, without any other likely side effects, id be very interested indeed - but im guessing that 'magic pill' doesnt yet exist!?! xxxx

I'm also always concerned when ti comes to supps that may influence hormones and I'm in a funk when it comes to deciding which to take. I was surprised by what you wrote about the effects of your contraceptive pill, i.e the hair shedding and thinning - I was recently prescribed a contraceptive pill in roder to STOP the shedding and thinning I had while not taking any hormone at all - guess it must depend on the type of pill and on the fact that even the same pill can cause different reactions in different people. Sometimes I think endocrinologists are playing a merry guess game when prescribing these things. That said, it is generally thought that estrogen helps hair growth and skin generally, whereas androgens are the msot frequent cause of shedding (or rather testosterone's convergence into DHT and sensitivity to it). Therefore, adding estrogen should curb any excess testosterone or "level things out" more. Also, lycopene, as far as I remember is often an ingredient in male supplements to help avoid prostate cancer aso caused by the wrong DHT response. Some combinations of lycopene and saw palmetto were advised off-label to women who had hair-sheddig problems due to excess androgen sensitvity. Oh, and dht sensitivity may also contribute to incorrect sebaceous gland activity - leading to either too much oil or dried out skin, OR acne. A kingdom to someone who knows how to regulate these suckers correctly in each of us:/ That said, I'd be willing to try the isoflavone/lycopene etc mix since the ingreds are easily available in my country. Am also tempted by Mr Happy's mix with uridine, but that would be much harder to obtain here - would have to buy abroad (I'm EU)and dont know if customs would be happy about that, unless anyone know an EU source:)

[Logic]

*blushes* Bless you, Logic! You're too kind (although, trust me, close-up i can see a change in my skin since hitting 30, and i dont like it.. not one bit! I always suffered with greasy skin, large pores, blemishes etc, which i guess has kept my skin fairly young looking to a degree (albeit pimply young lol. urgh!) but its starting to take on a slight leathery appearance when i look real close in a mirror, and my pores are getting larger (like craters - double-'urgh'!). No wrinkles as of yet, but i see the texture of my skin starting to change and im eager to fight it from every angle!

Thanks for the link. I'll go check it out right away.

And thanks even more for the compliment. Haha, after a crappy day feeling rather pants about myself, a cheeky compliment is just what the doctor ordered! xxx

Its a huge compliment to have a complimet so warmly and graciously accepted! Your beauty is more than just skin deep! 000

Interesting. Lycopene and Soy Isoflavones are both missing from my stack. I wonder if Lycopene would be a beneficial addition to my anti-aging/skincare/hair-thickening regimen? Or Astaxanthin, perhaps? Or would you say i take enough antioxidants already? (Im running out of 'spending money' for adding many extra supplements at the moment! Since i started supplementing heavily a couple months ago, my expenditure has gone through the roof! Especially as i bought every single supplement individually - i DESPERATELY need to find some multi-supplement products to restock with next time, for a more cost effective way of being able to keep up all my supplements long-term. If any supps come to mind that contain 2 or more of the ingredients in my stack, id be more than grateful for the heads-up! I cant imagine how many grams of extra filler im injesting unnecessarily by taking every supp in a seperate capsule too!) :s

If I understand this correctly; the combination causes the correct genes to be expressed to improve skin. So I dont know that Astaxanthin will work in the place of Lycopene?
Lycopene is cheap (tomato paste or scauce) where Astaxanthin is not, although its an excellent anti oxidant that crosses the blood brain barrier and is especially good for eyes.
I use Krill Oil for omega 3, DHA, EPA: It does not collect mercury etc. like fish does (short lived) and contains Astaxanthin...
(Astaxanthin means no excess vit. E reqd. to keep fish oil from oxidising)

Mr Happy's Uridine, Cholne, DHA stack combined with the above should help with mood.

Back on to topic... Soy Isoflavones...
I'd be concerned about taking anything that has any chance of a negative effect on the hormones. Im not anywhere close to the menopause yet (as far as im aware) and since going back on the birth control pill, which obviously floods the system with extra synthetic hormones, im already experiencing a few minor unpleasant side effects, hormonally (mood swings, breakthrough bleeding, lower sex drive, increased hair shedding/thinning, weight gain, etc.. Sorry if TMI!). Im terrified of worsening any of those symptoms by sending my hormones even more out of whack.

With the vast and confusing array of contraceptave pills with their different mechanisms of action I'm afraid I am of no help here.
I suppose I would look at the mechanism of action for the particular pill in use and then decide if Isoflavones compliment it or not.
If not; perhaps talk to your doc about changing to someting more compatible?

I actually really wanted to try Maca, Puera Mirifica and/or Aguaje pills, for their purported curve enhancing effects on the female form (cutting straight to the chase, the anecdotal evidence suggests they encourage your body to swell in booty and breast area!). Im not entirely convinced any pill can magically pump 'junk into your trunk' (i do so crave a beyonce behind! ), but apparently the hormonal effect these supplements have on the female body are the supposed trigger for your body to add more feminine curves to these areas. Anyhoo, i was all set to give them a go, until i did a little research into the possible side effects of these type pills and found they could cause mood swings, encourage fat stores ALL OVER the body, especially areas you dont want it to go (thighs, stomach, arms etc) and, more importantly, increased chances of breast/ovarian/cervical cancers.
Obviously now im frightened of supplementing with anything that could cause these hormonal side effects - especially with my already experiencing negative hormonal influences from the contraceptive pill.
If there was a beneficial hormone-affecting supplement that would almost certainly negate those negative hormonal effects, without any other likely side effects, id be very interested indeed - but im guessing that 'magic pill' doesnt yet exist!?! xxxx

Perhaps look into Fenugreek. Its said to increase bust size and libido , but more importantly seems to be one of the cheapest telomerase activators around!

http://greenray4ever...TELOMERETHERAPY

http://greenray4ever....html#FENUGREEK

Note that Jim's site is a goldmine of info on telomerase activators.

Also check out Epitalon available from Sciwalk on this forum:
http://www.longecity...ragalus-thread/


Also very important to longevity are AGE (Advanced Glysation Endproducts) blockers and breakers.
Alt 771 aka Alagebrium is available from here:
http://morelife.org/

Do look it up in these forums too.

Also have you looked into C60 in Olive oil?
http://www.longecity.../415-c60health/

Well researching all that should keep you out of trouble for a while. enjoy! 000

[Rejuvena]

Ayone willing to provide some response to the remarks i made in my previious post? kinda lost here - anyone notice the female androenic concerns and trying to
address them here in my thread. I could really use some ? is soy isofavones safe here? anyone willing to help me with a stack since I AM the topic starter. Dont mean to be bitchy but feel kinda ignored here. And lost.